Vladimir Tarasenko Requests Trade From Blues, Where He Might Wind Up

Multiple sources are have confirmed on Wednesday night that Vladimir Tarasenko, has, in fact, officially requested a trade out of St. Louis. He’s looking to leave the Blues with two years remaining on his current contract and get a fresh start in a new destination.

Related: Tarasenko Tells Blues He’s Open to Being Traded This Offseason

BREAKING: Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko requests a trade, per sources: Why he wants out, possible destinations and more https://t.co/OLnEuCtgsI #stlblues

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 8, 2021

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic writes: “Tarasenko has officially requested a trade from the club, multiple sources have told The Athletic.” He adds that this will now be the Blues No. 1 priority this season and that the request isn’t actually new. Rutherford explains:

The right winger asked for the move earlier this offseason, and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is currently attempting to facilitate the deal, according to league and team sources. There is no apparent timetable for a move, but the expectation is that it could happen before the start of the 2021-22 season.

This might not be the easiest move to make as Tarasenko has a $7.5 million annual average value on his current contract, which includes a full no-trade clause that kicked in two years ago. In short, the player has all the power here to shoot down whatever destinations he doesn’t like and the Blues may have to settle for moving the player for pennies on the dollar if a number of teams don’t step forward and express interest.

The reason for the trade request seems to stem from Tarasenko being upset about the way the team handed his shoulder surgeries in 2018 and 2019. Apparently, things did not go down the way he wanted and there is no trust left between him and the organization. Further reports suggested Tarasenko complained about discomfort before he rejoined the Blues for the playoffs in 2020 and that the team should have done additional testing.

Where Could Tarasenko Wind Up?

Speculation is that Tarasenko’s camp has already given the Blues a list of preferred trade destinations. From what some have said, there are as many as 10 teams on that list.

When you consider that he’s a $7.5 million cap hit and his actual salary in 2021-22 is $9.5 million, that’s not an easy pill to swallow for many teams. For teams struggling financially, to ask them to take on someone with his injury history and pay almost $10 million, it will likely rule out a ton of potential buyers.

Rutherford writes:

The Islanders, who were knocked out of this year’s playoffs by Tampa Bay, have been mentioned as a possible fit. The New York Rangers, who have Tarasenko’s close friend Artemi Panarin (who is also represented by Theofanous) could be another. Would he waive his no-trade clause to play in Edmonton with Connor McDavid and company?

As for what the Blues might want back, it’s likely the team will have to retain some salary, but the good news is, they probably want a player in return that can slot in and contribute immediately. This opens the door for a team to move salary in a deal where they otherwise might have been able to afford Tarasenko.

Those Old Matthew Tkachuk Rumors…

It wasn’t long ago Tarasenko’s name was floated around as part of a package to Calgary that would see Flames’ forward Matthew Tkachuk go back to St. Louis. Apparently, he would like to play closer to home and the Flames are looking at big changes this offseason. The Flames quickly shot down any validity to those rumors, but the talk is sure to pop up again.

Even if that were something both teams would consider, it wouldn’t be a one-for-one deal. Still, Rutherford writes, “The Blues aren’t going to trade Tarasenko for nothing, so at this point, there appears to be no rush.” One of the interesting questions now will be, how do the Blues approach the NHL Expansion Draft. Will they protect Tarasenko or leave him exposed?

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